Front axle construction



Aprfifl 3U 1935, ,J BURNETT 11,9@@,394

FRONT AXLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 19, 1932 INVENTOR. n

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 30, 1935 UNlTED S m r/s PAT E 0F F-IE 1,999,394. FRONT-"AXLE. CONSTRUCTION! John. L... Burnett, Detroit, Mich assignorto Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mich acorporation of Delaware ApplicationNovem-ber19, 1932.1 Serial No; 643,419;

4 Claims.

construction 1 of dirigible vehicles such :as auto.- mobiles;

The objectofimy.invention'tis to? provide a.

novel type. of frontraxle; constructionv which eliminates the difficulties attendanttupon' the employment of the (usual ..type: of thrust bearing and permits the employment ,of a" simple, inexpensive,-durable, and readily assembled construcg Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one of the bearing structures illustrated in Fig. 1, the View being taken along the line IIIIII thereof.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of Fig. 1, the view being taken along the plane indicated. by the line IVIV thereof.

In the drawing I have illustrated a front axle construction In having a forked end portion comprising an upper portion II and a spaced lower portion I2. The wheel spindle I 3, which is adapted to support one wheel of the automobile, is provided with an offset body portion I4, which is rigidly secured to a king pin I5 by means of a key I6.

The member I2 is provided with a substantially vertically extending opening I7, disposed in alignment with a corresponding opening Na in the upper portion II of the axle II). The walls of the opening l1 are threaded to receive an externally threaded cylindrical bushing I8. The interior walls of the bushing I8 are also threaded and receive in threaded engagement the lower end of the king pin I5. The end of the bushing I 8 is sealed by means of a Welsh plug I9, or other suitable device, to prevent the admission of dirt or other foreign matter thereto and to prevent the escape of lubricant therefrom.

The body portion I4 of the spindle I 3 is provided with an opening 25 into which is fitted a steering knuckle or arm 2I, which is connected to the steering gear of the car. When the spindle I3 is rotated, by means of the arm ZI, the king pin l5 rotates within the bushing I8, the coacting threads of the two members serving as My, invention relates; to vehicle construction; and has particular relation; to: the; front 1 axle both' bushingand .thrustibearing; thus'eliminat-.

ing :the necessity of an: additional :thrust bearing.

The upper 'portionJ I 'of .theraxle I0 'is pro-. vided with .arropeningxl'la which is disposed-in alignmentwiththe openingl'l in .the lower p01- tionxIZ; 'Iheninterior'wallsof theiopening. Ila. are smoothand-i-receivea bushing Isa, the:ex-

terior surface of which.is smooth and the interior surface of which-is threaded toreceive in threaded engagement the upper: end 'of the king pin I5. The end of the bushingIMis sealed by means of: a Welsh-.plugx I9; as previously dee scribed. I

It will be apparentxthat; by making the: sleeve I8 2 threadedv on 1 bothitheainterior; and exterior surfaces; vthecspace between ;the.=body portion of the". spindle; I 4* and: .theelower. ipor-tioni. I 2- of :the axle IEI may be very accurately fixed, and that the upper bushing I8a, by reason of having a 1 smooth sliding fit with the walls of the opening I'Ia, will adjust itself accordingly.

In assembling this structure, the body portion I4 of the spindle I3 is placed between the portions II and I2 of the axle ID with their respective king pin receiving openings in alignment. The king pin I5 is then passed through the opening I1 and. through the opening in the member l4 until it reaches a centralized position therein,

at which time a key receiving notch in the pin 0 I5 will register with a key receiving opening in the member I4. The key I5 is then inserted in the opening provided therefor, thus firmly securing the pin I5 and the member I4 in the desired fixed relationship. When the pin I5 and the memberf I4 are secured together in the proper relationship, the threaded lower end of the pin I5 projects into the opening H.

The threaded bushing i8 is next introduced. As the exterior and interior threads of this bushing are of the same pitch the bushing may, by rotation, be moved into the space between the pin I5 and the walls of the opening H in threaded engagement with both and the axial position of the pin with respect to the member I 2 remains the same as when the two sets of threads first become engaged. The bushing [8a is next introduced into the opening I la, by causing threaded engagement of the pin and bushing and rotating the bushing to the desired position with respect to the member II.

In order to lubricate these bearings, the end portions II and I2 of the axle are provided with arcuate or annular recesses 23 within the openings I? and Na and intermediate the ends there- 2 of, which interrupt the threads of the opening i? and the smooth surface of the opening Ha. In each instance a substantially radially extending passageway 26 extends through the side wall of the member I i into open communication with the recess 23. A suitable alemite plug 25, or other lubricant admitting fitting, may be disposed in the opening 24 so as to sealit against the admission of foreign matter and prevent the escape of lubricant. The sleeves l3 and Na are each provided with a radially extending passage-v way 26 extending therethrough which is in open communication with the arcuate recess 23 at one end and with the threaded portion of the king.

pin at the other end so that lubricant forced through the opening 25: enters the arcuate recess 23 and completely fills it. angular position of the opening 26 and the bushing I3 or 53a, a passageway is always open from the recess 23 to the threads on the interior of the bushing l8 or 88a and the exterior of the king pin l5, between which rotation occurs during the normal steering of the vehicles.

Although I have illustrated but one "form of my invention and have described in detail but a single application thereof it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that my invention is not so limited but that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claims;

What I claim is:

1. In a front axle construction, an axle having two substantially vertically spaced end portions provided with aligned openings therein, an internally threaded bushing disposed within each of said openings, a king pin having threaded end portions extending through said bushings and in threaded engagement therewith, and a wheel,

Regardless of the spindle rigidly secured to the central portion of said'king pin.

2. In a front axle construction, an axle having two substantially vertically spaced end portions provided with aligned openings therein, an internally threaded bushing disposed within each of said openings, a king pin having threaded end portions extending through said bushings and in threaded engagement therewith, a wheel spindle rigidly secured to the central portion,

of said king pin, and means adapted to close the ends or" said bushings exteriorly of said king pin.

3. A front axle construction comprising an axle having asubstantially vertically extending threaded opening therein, an internally and externally threaded bushing disposed in said opening in threaded engagement 7 with the walls thereof, a king pin having a threaded portion extending through said bushing and in threaded engagement therewith, and a wheel spindle rigidly secured on said king pin. 4. A front axle construction comprising an axle having two substantially vertically spaced end portions provided with aligned openings therein, the walls of the opening in one end por tion being threaded, an internally and externally threaded bushing disposed within said threaded opening in threaded engagement therewith, the walls of the opening in the other end portion being smooth; an externally smooth and internally threaded bushing'disposed in said last mentioned opening, a king. pini'having threaded end portions extending through said bushings in 1 threaded engagement therewith, and a wheel spindle rigidly secured to the central portion of said king pin.

1 JOHN'LVBURNET'I. 

